Railway gate



Jan. 26, was.

U. SAWICKI. RAILWAY GATE.

FILED SEPT. 21, 1922 whit JOHN SAVTICKI, 0F IRON'WOOD, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO ISAAC J". WATSON AND ONE-FOURTH TO FRANK MICHEL-L, BOTH 0F IRONVJOOD, MICHIGAN.

RAILWAY GATE.

Application filed September 21, 1922. Serial No. 589,621.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be 1t known that 1, JOHN SAwroKr, a cltizen of Poland, residing at Ironwood,

in the county of Gogebic and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Railway Gates, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to useful improvements in railway gates, and has for its primary object thereof the provision of such a railway gate that will be wholly automatic in its operation so as not to require the attention of a gateman, the same being always positive in its operation.

A further object of thisinvention is the provision oi arailway gate wherein the same is adapted to be operated by means positioned at a distant point upon the rails of thetrackway for actuation by the wheels of the train engaging therewith.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a railway gate that is comparatively simple in its construction and operation and such a gate that when once installed is not liable to readily become out of order.

With the above and other objects of: the invention in view as the nature thereof will be better understood the same consists oi the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompany drawing and claimed.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a section of a railway track showing my device applied thereto at a highway crossing,

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view of a portion of thestructure, one of the gates being shown as removed from its support,

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional view upon the lines IIIIII of Fig. 1,

Figure i is a vertical cross sectional view of the actuating mechanism for the several gate members and being taken upon the lines IV-IV of Fig. 6,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. taken upoif the lines V-V of the same figure,

Figure 6 is a vertical cross sectional view of the structure shown in. Figs. i and 5, a oortion of the device being shown in elevation, and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the dog carrying member for actuating the mechanism controlling the movement of the gates.

Referring more in particular to the several views, there is shown in Fig. 1 a section of trackway comprising the usual spaced rails 1 and 2. In this figure the section of trackway is shown as having a road 3 extending thereacross, and upon each side of this road and outwardly of each of the rails 1 and 2 are pivoted gate members 41- adapted to swing inwardly toward each other to extend parallel with the tracks and at a distance thereabove for effectively closing the roadway and preventing passage across the tracks. These gates i are of any desired form, and are pivoted within vertically d sposed hollow metallic post members 5 as at i. In the preferred embodiment of my invention, however, these swinging gate members are shown as comprising spaced strips 6 and 7, being joined together for a portion of their length and upon the rear edges thereof by a cross webbing 8. The rear walls oi. each of the post members 5 are cut away for a greater portion of their length as at 9 for permitting theentrance of the adjacent portion of the gates to swing into and out of the post, the front walls of these posts being likewise cut away for a portion of their length as at 10 for purposes similar to the cutouts 9. The hollow gate receiving posts upon opposite sides of the roadway areso disposed as to allow the spaced fingers 6 and 7 comprising the gate members a tointerengage with each other, it being clearly noted that when these gate members are in their open positions the same will extend vertically within their posts and when swung to their closed position will extend horizontally across the roadway.

The post members 5 have enlarged base portions 11 having formed upon their lower edges a marginal flange 12 for securely anchoring these enlarged portions of the post beneath the surface of the ground. These base members. 11 of the post 5 upon one side of the roadway 3 establishing communication with the similar base members of the post upon the same side of the roadway and across the track section, for purposes hereinafter more fully described. In Fig. 3 the post members upon one side of the roadway are shown as being interconnected receiving. a sprocket chain 22.

by a housing 13 formed as an integral part of the base portions 11.

Upon the pivots 1 for each of the post members and between side legs 6 and 7 thereof is keyed or otherwise secured thereto a sprocket gear 14: having a sprocket chain 15 associated therewith adapted to engage over a similar sprocket gear 16 keyed to a shaft 17 slightly inwardly of the outer ends thereof, the extreme ends of this shaft being supported within bearing members 18 formed within the housing 13, it being noted that these shafts extend in a longitudinal direction. through each of the housings 13.

At a distant point upon the rail 1 of the trackway and at each side of the cross road 3 there is secured a box shaped housing 19 having a shaft 20 journaled therethrough upon which is keyed a sprocket gear 21 for These sprocket chains 22 extend parallel with the track 1 and engage over at their opposite ends, a similar sprocket wheel 23 upon each of the shafts 17 within the housings 13 for rotating these shafts when the sprocket gears 21 are rotated for consequently imparting a swinging movement to each of the gate mem bers l. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each of the housings 13 are suitably slotted as at 2 1 for permitting the entrance of the sprocket chains 22 thereinto.

As a means for controlling the rotary movement of the sprocket wheel 21 on. the shaft 20 in opposite directions, there iskeyed to this shaft 20 two ratchet Wheels 25 and 26 in close contact with each other. These ratchet wheels are spaced from the sprocket wheel 21 by a spacing wall 27 formed between the side walls of the housing 19. As shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, these ratchet wheels are provided with ratchet teeth upon only one-half of their periphery, the remaining half of each of the wheels being left plain and it being noted that the ratchet surface of the outer wheel 25 is adjacent the plain surface of the other wheel 26, the teeth upon the wheel 26 being adjacent the plain surface of the wheel 25 for purposes hereinafter described. Loosely positioned upon the shaft 20 between the ratchet wheel 26 and the'adjacent surface of the inner wall of the housing 19 is a swinging dog carryin member 27 notched u aon its 0) osite g 1 IP sides and adjacent its lower end as at 28 for receiving the ends of leaf springs 29 bolted or otherwise secured to the adjacent walls of the housing. By the provision of the leaf springs 29 the dog carrying member 27 will normally assume a position as shown in full lines in Figs. A, 5 and 6. This member 27 is shouldered at'its upper end as at 30 which shouldered portion overlies the ratchet wheels 25 and 26 and has pivotally secured thereto at the opposite sides thereof dog members 31 and 32 so positioned as to engage with the ratchet wheels 25 and 26 when the member 27 is swung in opposite direo tions. These dog members are normally maintained out of engagementwith their respective ratchet wheel by the medium of springs carried by the shouldered end of the member 27. Disposed upon the side walls of the box members 19 and adjacent the lower ends of the dogs 31 and 32 are other flat curved spring members 3 1 for guiding the respective dog member into engagement with its ratchet wheel when the swinging dog carrying member 27 is swung in a direction toward either one of these springs.

The upper end of the dog carrying plate 2'? has formed thereon spaced ears for revolubly receiving therebetween a car wheel engaging roller 36. Each ofthe boxlike housings 19 are so positioned inwardly of the rail 1 as to allow this roller memer 36 upon the dog carrying member 27 to lie adjacent the thread of the rail and to project a slight distance thereabove, whereby due to the passing of the train over the rails 1 and 2 the wheels upon one side thereof will successively engage the roller 36 for actuating the sliaft 20 within the hous ing 19 and for consequently controlling theswlnging movements of the pivoted gate members 4. 1 The operation of my invention is as fol.-

ows:--

The box like members 19 with their associate mechanism being disposed at a distant point upon the trackway at both sides of the road crossing 3 it will be readily understood that a train coming toward either one of these housings 19, the wheels thereof will successively engage the roller 36 of the the dog member 27 for'intermittently swinging the same from its substantially central vertical position to a position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 for consequently engaging the dog member 32 with its associate ratchet wheel for rotating the shaft 20 and for consequently rotating the shaft 13 through the mediiun of the sprocket and chain connections therebetween, for conse quently closing the gates upon both sides of the roadway. Asbefore stated the ratchet teeth upon each of the wheels extend only around one-half of the periphery thereof, it being readily understood that the gearing is such a to allow the gates to be fully 'clesed when either of the ratchet wheels 25 ment with its respective dog thereby preventing any further rotation of the shaft- 20 even though the dog carrying member 27 s being actuated by other wheels of the train upon the track section. As soon as the train has crossed over the road crossing 3, and the wheels thereof successively engage the roller 36 of the dog member 27 in the other housing 19 upon this side of the roadway, the dog carrying member will be so actuated as to have one of the dogs thereof ratchet upon its respective ratchet wheel for rotating the shaft 20, and for consequently rotating the shaft 13 in an opposite direction for extending the gates 4: to an open position. Each of the shafts 17 have a pulley wheel 35, keyed or otherwise secured thereon, for receiving an endless belt 36 therebetween, this belt 36 being shown as crossed whereby movement of the gates at one side of the roadway to a closed position will occasion a similar movement to the gates upon the opposite side of the roadway.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as claimed.

What is claimed as new is In a railway gate, the combination with the posts and arms pivoted thereto on opposite sides of a railway track and of the roadway crossing said track, of a shaft connecting the arms in the two posts located on the same side of the roadway on opposite sides of said track through the medium of sprocket and chain connections between the arms and shaft, means positioned at a distant point upon the said track from the said roadway for actuating the said arms, said means comprising an arm member positioned adjacent one of the rails of the said track for engagement with the wheels of a train passing over said track, said arm member being loosely positioned upon a shaft and having oppositely extending dog members pivoted thereto, a ratchet wheel keyed to said shaft beneath each of the dog members and having the teeth thereof extending in opposite directions, each of said dog members adapted for engagement with its adjacent ratchet wheel when the arm member is swung in opposite directions for opening or closing the gates, and connecting means between the said ratchet wheel carrying shaft and the shaft between the said arm members.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN SAWICKI. 

